Bleckley County residents are being targeted by scammers pretending to be law enforcement officers threatening arrest over warrants or missed jury duty.
What’s Happening: Scammers are calling people and demanding payment to avoid arrest. Sheriff Daniel Cape says the Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office will never call residents about warrants or demand money over the phone.
- Many of these scam calls come from inmates using illegal cellphones inside prisons.
- The calls also threaten arrest for missed jury duty or other fake legal issues.
What’s Important: Real law enforcement officers don’t call about warrants or jury duty. Jury duty notices only come through U.S. Mail, and if a deputy needs to speak with you, they will come to your home in person.
Between the Lines: The sheriff’s office is working with state and federal partners to track down the scammers. When residents report the scam phone numbers, deputies can identify the caller, trace the phone back to its source, and file criminal charges.
What You Should Do: Hang up immediately if someone calls claiming to be law enforcement and demanding payment. Then call the Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office directly to report the scam and provide the phone number that called you.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
